Reclaiming Fiscal Conservatism

For years, the GOP has spun the narrative that their party is the party of fiscal concern. Democrats, who support increasing meager SNAP benefits, are accused rampant spending. Calls for greater funding to public education are met with outrage about the U.S. budget deficit.

However, with the passage of the Trump tax plan this December, the GOP killed the myth of Republican fiscal conservatism. The narrative of their party as the budget hawk party must die, too.

Some talking points:

The Congressional Budget Office has suggested that the tax overhaul passed in December will add over $1 trillion dollars to the nation’s deficit. While this number does not take into account offsets from economic growth, most economists agree that the economic growth projections for the plan are overstated.

And in the midst of a debate about whether to save 1.8 million DACA recipients from deportation, immigrants who (while this is not the point, the point is that they are people) are highly educated and have a strong positive impact on the economy, Congress seems to have no difficulty allocating almost $25 billion to a physically and legally impossible to build border wall.

To those voters for whom nothing rings truer than, “do it ‘cause it’s cheaper,” listen here. Keeping educated immigrants in the United States is good for the economy. Legalizing marijuana is good for the economy. A strong solar energy market is good for the economy. Whether or not you’re swayed by the morality of keeping young women healthy or preventing kids from being murdered at school is irrelevant. Vote for Democrats because it’s cheaper.

Remember: Republicans are earmarking billions for a wall that we do not need and cutting taxes for the super-rich. On almost every issue, Democrats are the ones supporting fiscally conservative, economically sound solutions. Why would we let the GOP tell a story that says otherwise?

The last sentence sums the issue up very nicely. “On almost every issue, Democrats are the ones supporting fiscally conservative, economically sound solutions. Why would we let the GOP tell a story that says otherwise?” Democrats are going to have to be the liberal and the fiscally conservative party.

Red Rover

The GOP is fiscally conservative until they’re in control. In other words it’s just an ideological smokescreen used to stand in the way of progress when they’re in the minority party.